View From Heaven
by Baley
Summary: Songfic. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. They were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together. But all that changed one night, and now she's left on her own. WARNING: Character death and slash. If you've read my other stories, you know what to ex


_**Author's Note:**_ Hey, guys. Some of you might know me from my other stories, and some of you might not. I finally finished this songfic. It's my first song fic, so please be nice. I would really like it if you guys would tell me what you think about it. Thanks. By the way, the song is View From Heaven by Yellowcard.

**……….VFH……….**

She traced the window frame with a distracted finger. Her eyes were watching the raindrops fall down outside, but her mind was elsewhere. She was finding it hard to concentrate lately. She was always zoning out in class in the middle of a lesson, she never went to any parties anymore. She just sat alone in her room, listening to the same song over and over again.

No one really blamed her though; they didn't expect her to just bounce back up after something that terrible had happened to her. It's virtually impossible to act normally after losing the one you love and she was glad that the other people around her understood that and didn't push her into doing anything she wasn't ready to do.

Despite the understanding for the way she was acting, people were starting to get worried about her. Peyton would drop by everyday to see if she wanted to do anything or just talk about it, but the answer was always the same. Even Lucas stopped by once in awhile to express his condolences. The fact that he was upset didn't surprise her; just the thought that he actually came to see her was amazing.

She knew people were worried and a little part of her was thankful for that, but it didn't change the way she felt inside. It didn't help her sleep any better at night when she didn't have anyone to wrap her arms around. Their worry didn't help to glue her heart back together from where it lay in pieces buried under the ground with her other half.

It didn't matter what they said, nothing was going to make the haunting pain that lingered inside every inch of her go away. She was worried that nothing was ever going to take the pain away, that she was going to feel this miserable for the rest of her life. She didn't want to be the kind of girl that sat all alone in her room, but that was what her future looked like. At least her near future anyway.

_I'm just so tired_

_Won't you sing me to sleep_

_Fly through my dreams_

_So I can hitch a ride with you tonight_

_And get away from this place_

_Have a new name and face_

_I just ain't the same without you in my life_

"Brooke, what's up with you lately?" Peyton asked, looking up from her drawing to watch Brooke fidget with her hair as she sat at Peyton's computer. It took Brooke a moment to realize she was being spoken to and she gave the blonde a guilty smile.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really listening," Brooke admitted, tearing her eyes away from the screen. She saw the concerned look on Peyton's face and knew she had been caught in the act. "What'd you say?"

"I was wondering what's up with you?" Peyton eyed Brooke for a moment before setting her book and pen down on her bed and pushing herself up so she was in a better position to have a discussion. "You've been acting really strange lately."

"Strange? What? No, I haven't been acting…" Brooke stopped mid way through her denial when she saw the look on Peyton's face. The blonde wasn't going to let her out of this one and she would be able to tell if she was lying. Brooke sighed and slumped her shoulders, turning the swivel chair so she was facing her best friend. "Okay. There is something I really need to talk about with someone."

"I'm all ears," Peyton insisted. She knew that Brooke still didn't trust her one hundred percent after everything that happened with the Lucas triangle, but she was hoping that this would be her chance to prove that she still wanted to be Brooke's best friend. "Come on, Brooke. You know you can tell me anything."

"I know, it's just… this is so huge," Brooke explained, her eyes wide and her hands held up in the air for emphasis. Peyton looked at her in surprise, but a bit of amusement could be seen in her eyes. "I'm talking monumental, third year of therapy breakthrough kind of stuff."

"What could be so huge that you can't tell me?"

"I'm in love," Brooke blurted out, before bringing a hand to cover her mouth. Peyton will admit that it was a little surprising considering Brooke basically swore off all guys after her breakup with Lucas, but it was hardly something to get this worked up over. Peyton looked at her strangely for a moment before nodding her head slowly, showing Brooke that she was confused.

"I'm sorry," Peyton replied in a confused tone that matched the expression on her face. "I think I'm missing an important part here. What exactly is the big deal? So you're in love, it's not the first time."

"It's not just that," Brooke began slowly. She didn't want to tell Peyton this, she didn't want to tell anyone, but it was starting to eat away at her. At first she just hoped the feeling would go away over time, start to fade into the past like her feelings for Lucas had, but it wasn't working. "It's more the who I'm in love with part that's the killer."

_Late night drives_

_All alone in my car_

_I can't help but start_

_Singing lines from all our favorite songs_

_And melodies in the air_

_Singing life just ain't fair_

_But sometimes I still just can't believe you're gone_

"Will you stop whining?" Brooke commanded, fixing the blindfold that she had just put on not more than three minutes ago. She led them up the steps of school, making sure that neither of them tripped on their way up. "We're almost there so be patient."

"Where are you taking me?" Brooke rolled her eyes and laughed. She hoped that the laughing helped to hide the nervousness that was building up in the pit of her stomach. Finally, after months of mulling over her feelings, Peyton had convinced her to just declare her undying love.

"It's supposed to be a surprise, silly," Brooke reminded, with a bump of their hips. The slight connect had more of an effect on Brooke than she was willing to admit to even herself so she continued them on their journey. "It doesn't work if I tell you. Those are the rules."

"Since when do you follow rules?"

"Okay, that's enough talking out from you," Brooke decided with a smirk even though it went unnoticed. They reached the gym doors and Brooke brought them to a halt. This was it; once she walked into that gym there was no turning back. She took a deep breath, tangled their hands together and pushed the heavy door open, bringing them into a room full of candles. She smiled at the sight, mentally thanking Peyton for doing such a good job. "We're here."

"Good. Now I can take off this damn blind…" Brooke's hand immediately shot up and stopped the movement to remove the small piece of material that separated her from the most beautiful eyes she had ever seem. "Damn, Tigger, calm down."

"Sorry," Brooke whispered, gently fixing the blindfold so it was back in its proper place. "Could you just… keep it on? This will be a lot easier to tell you without your eyes drilling a hole into me."

"Brooke, what the hell is going on?"

"Please, Tutor Girl?" Brooke watched her drop her shoulders and sigh. She smiled at the movement, finding the whole action to be nothing but adorable. It was just such a Haley thing to do. "Here, come this way." Brooke took her hand again and led them over to center court.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Haley asked, trying to get a peek through the black rag that was covering her eyes. Brooke was acting really weird lately and she was really starting to get worried about her. She followed Brooke without really thinking about it. "What's that smell?" Brooke laughed at the face Haley was making as she tried to sniff the air.

"It's nothing," she told her, reaching a hand to touch Haley's cheek. She knew Haley wouldn't think anything of it, just pass it off as a Brooke thing so she didn't have to worry about that. She couldn't help but smile when Haley did. "You have the most adorable smile, did you know that?"

"Okay, that's it," Haley said, bringing her hands up to her face to take off the blindfold. Brooke tried to stop her, but she shoved the cheerleader's hands away and pushed the black material over her head. It took her eyes a couple seconds to adjust to the light before she realized that lit candles surrounded them. Her eyes widened and she looked around her before looking back at her friend. "What's all this?"

"It's your surprise, dumbass," Brooke said, smiling nervously up at her. She didn't want Haley to see the candles yet because it would be too easy for her to figure out what was going on. It's not everyday that your friend fills a room with candles if she isn't going to say something seriously life changing. "And I thought you were supposed to be a smarty."

"It all looks so beautiful," Haley commented, her eyes still traveling around the room that was usually filled with teenagers. She found it hard to believe that just four hours ago there was a basketball practice held in this room. "How'd you do it?"

"Peyton helped," Brooke answered absently; too busy watching Haley's face as she studied the room. She still wasn't sure what Haley's reaction was going to be, but since she hadn't run off yet, she was crossing her fingers. She decided it was time to bite the bullet. If she was ever going to confess, it had to be now. "Hales." Brooke reached out and laid a soft hand on Haley's face, guiding the girl's gaze until it was on her. "I need to tell you something."

"What's up?" If Haley were being honest with herself, she would have been able to admit that she had a pretty good idea what her friend was about to tell her, but she just couldn't believe it. Was there really any possible way that Brooke Davis could have those kinds of feelings towards her?

_And I'm sure the view from Heaven_

_Beats the hell out of mine here_

_And if we all believe in Heaven_

_Maybe we'll make it through one more year_

_Down here_

"I can't believe you did all of this, Tigger," Haley said for what was probably the tenth time that night. It was their first official date as a couple and Brooke had really gone all out. They were seated in one of the most expensive restaurants in the surrounding hundred-mile radius.

"Well, what did you expect, baby?" Brooke asked with a sweet smile, one that showed just how adorable her dimples were. She was overwhelmingly happy that Haley liked the place she picked out; she was worried it might be overdoing it. She reached across the table to take Haley's hand in her own. "This is our first date. I had to make this special, didn't I?"

"You are really something special, you know that?" Haley smiled at her. She wasn't sure what it was, but every time she saw Haley smile, it was as if everything inside her just melted away and she was left with nothing but an overflowing heart.

"I've been told." She loved this. Being Brooke Davis meant that she had more than a little experience when it came to dating, but never had she been this nervous and this excited before. Being around Haley, just touching, made her feel like every nerve in her body was tingling. It was like no other feeling she had ever experienced. "So, you really like it?"

"Are you kidding?" exclaimed Haley, her voice coming out a little louder than she had intended. She smiled apologetically at all the other customers, before lowering her voice to answer Brooke's question. "I love it. This whole place is just beautiful, you're beautiful."

"You know, you're not so bad looking yourself." Brooke watched as Haley blushed and tried to hide her face behind her hair. Brooke smiled adoringly at her, thinking that she had never seen someone as cute as the girl sitting right in front of her. She leaned forward and touched Haley's cheek, trying to get her attention. "What?"

"I just can't believe this is real," Haley admitted, her cheeks getting a darker shade of red at every word. "I mean, I always pictured my first date being with some dork that I tutored or something and here I am with the most beautiful and popular girl in school. It's just a lot to take in."

"This is your first date?" Brooke asked, clearly amazed at the newfound information about her girlfriend. Haley nodded her head sadly. She found it hard to believe that someone as beautiful as Haley had never been on a date before. "How could that be true? I mean, have you seen you?"

"Yeah, sure, Tigger," Haley laughed, uncomfortably with this conversation. "If you say so." Haley could tell that Brooke wanted her to say more, and as much as she didn't want to, she knew that Brooke wouldn't leave it alone until she got an explanation from her. "What can I say? You know how high school works. The nerdy girls that help the jocks after school never get asked out. I wasn't cool enough for the jocks and too cool for the nerds. I was just kind of there. No one really notices me."

"I notice you," Brooke corrected her. She squeezed the hand that she still had a firm hold on. "To me you're the only one in the room." Haley couldn't stop the silly grin that spread across her lips. She never would have guessed that Brooke Davis could be this sweet.

"This may sound weird because it's so soon, but…" Haley trailed off as her eyes met Brooke's. All the fear that she was feeling about saying this to Brooke disappeared the moment her eyes locked on Brooke's. There was just something in her eyes that saw right down to Haley's soul and it gave her chills every time. "I think I'm in love with you."

"That doesn't sound weird at all, baby," Brooke assured her with a warm smile that told Haley she knew exactly how she felt. "In fact, it's the nicest thing you could have said because I know I'm in love with you too."

_Feel your fire_

_When it's cold in my heart_

_And things sorta start_

_Reminding me of my last night with you_

_I only need one more day_

_Just one more chance to say_

_I wish that I had gone up with you too_

"Are you sure we should be doing this here?" Haley asked, pulling her lips away from Brooke's. Brooke rolled her eyes as she closed the closet door behind them, never taking her eyes off Haley. "I mean; we could get caught."

"You have to live a little, baby," Brooke told her. She could tell by the look in Haley's eyes that she really wasn't sure about this. Brooke dropped her hands from where they were resting on Haley's hips and took a hold of the other girl's hands. "If you don't want to do this, then we don't have to."

"Are you kidding me?" Haley asked, her eyes already glazed over as she looked at Brooke swollen lips. "I don't really have a choice, now do I?" Brooke's eyebrows furrowed up as she looked at her girlfriend in confusion. She shook her head.

"You always have a choice when it comes to me," Brooke assured. Haley laughed slightly, shaking her head. She thought it was amazingly sweet that Brooke was being so patient with her. Haley had never really been in a relationship before, so all of this stuff was really new to her.

"That's so not what I meant, Tigger," Haley sighed, giving Brooke a full smile. Even in the darkness of the closet, Brooke could see the bright smile on Haley's face and it just made it harder for her to stop. "I just meant that you can't kiss me like that and then just stop. We've gone too far now."

"Oh, I see," Brooke said sweetly, smiling up at Haley. Knowing that Haley didn't want to stop, she moved forward, slipping her hands back to Haley's hips and massaging them softly. "So you're up to a little mid-class, closet make out session?"

"Only with you," Haley answered in a shaky voice. They had been going out for almost a month, and she still found it hard to breathe when Brooke was this close to her. Brooke's smile widened as she leaned forward and captured Haley's bottom lip between her teeth, sucking on it gently. "Oh, God," Haley whimpered against Brooke's mouth. Her knees were starting to go weak.

"You like that?" Brooke asked, tightening her hold on Haley's waist to keep her steady. Not being able to find her voice, Haley just nodded her head. Brooke laughed at the look on Haley's face. "Do you have any idea how adorable you are?"

"Can't say I do," Haley replied, getting her voice back. Nothing made her feel better than when Brooke complimented her, so she liked to fish for as many as she could get. It only took a few days for Brooke to realize this and it just made her love Haley even more. It showed how low Haley's self esteem was and Brooke jumped at the chance to boost it for her. "Why don't you tell me?"

"If I have to," Brooke teased, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Haley's. "You're lips are adorable." She kissed her lightly on the lips. "That nose is adorable." She reached up and kissed the tip of Haley's nose. "And those beautiful brown eyes." Haley closed her eyes as Brooke laid feather light kissed on her eyelids. "There is no part of you that isn't adorable."

"You are too sweet to me," Haley told her, opening her eyes so she was looking directly into Brooke's. She brought her hands up to Brooke's cheeks, pulling her face even closer to her's, if it was possible. "I love you."

"I know you do," Brooke smiled at her, knowing that was not the answer she was expected to give. She laughed and wrapped her arms around Haley's waist, pulling her body against her's. She brought her lips just millimeters from Haley's. "I love you, too, baby." Without another word, their lips crashed together again. Brooke's hands moved up the back of Haley's shirt, running her fingers along hot skin and Haley tangled her hands in Brooke soft hair.

"Brooke…" Haley moaned into her mouth. Brooke took that as a request and pushed Haley against the wall, crushing their bodies together to get maximum contact, knocking over a few things in the process.

"I need you," Brooke groaned against Haley's lips. They were so caught up in each other that neither of them heard a voice calling from outside the door, nor did they hear the door open. They did, however, hear the very shocked exclamation from one Lucas Scott.

_And I'm sure the view from Heaven_

_Beats the hell out of mine here_

_And if we all believe in Heaven_

_Maybe we'll make it through one more year_

_Down here_

"So, Luke's still not talking to you?" Brooke asked from her position on her bed. She and Haley were both lying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. It had been over a week since they had been outted and people were mostly okay with it. To their surprise, most of the students in their school were actually very supportive of their relationship. Of course, with the exception of a few close minded jealous ex-boyfriends/best friends.

"Does yelling count?" Haley asked, moving closer to Brooke. She snuggled into her side and buried her head in the other brunette's shoulder, draping her arm across Brooke's toned stomach.

"I'm sorry, baby," Brooke whispered, wrapping her arm around Haley's body with one hand while the other one worked its magic in Haley's hair. They did this all the time, just lying there. Cuddling was definitely their favorite pastime. "He's just being a jerk, he'll get over it."

"He better," Haley mumbled, her answer muffled by the material of Brooke's pink shirt. She hated fighting with Lucas, that's why she always let him slide on so many things, so it was a rare thing that they go an entire week without talking. Haley shook her head, deciding she didn't want to focus on this anymore. She pushed her head off of Brooke's shoulder so she could see her beautiful face. "Forget him. I don't wanna talk about that jerk right now. What are we gonna do today?"

"I'm not sure," Brooke answered, completely fine with not discussing Lucas anymore. See could see how hurt Haley was over the whole fight, so when they talked about him, it took all of Brooke's self control not to go out and attack Luke. "Oh, I have an idea."

"Should I be scared?" Haley asked, noticing the smile spread across Brooke's lips. That was never a good sign. Brooke Davis was famous in Tree Hill for her wild ideas and Haley had come to recognize that look very well. Brooke's smile just got bigger at the question. "Okay, what's your idea?"

"We should totally get tattoos!" Brooke cheered. Haley looked at her as if she had gone crazy. At first, Haley thought she was just joking, but it soon became apparent that Brooke was being as serious as a heart attack.

"Are you serious?" Haley had to ask. Brooke nodded. "Why?"

"Because it'll show everyone how much we love each other," Brooke answered, smiling at her logic. She knew that if Haley didn't have Lucas do to these stupid things with anymore, than she would be more than happy to fill that void. Haley appeared to be thinking it over before she nodded her head. "Are you kidding? You, Haley 'Tutor Girl' James is going to get a tattoo?"

"I'd jump off a bridge if you asked me to," Haley answered, her face an example of complete seriousness. The smile on Brooke's face turned from an evil one to a soft one, the kind that was reserved especially for Haley. Brooke couldn't help the warm feeling she felt in her tummy at Haley's words.

"Aww, baby," she cried. "Kisses." She leaned down just as Haley was reaching up and their lips meet in the middle. Once they separated, Haley snuggled back into Brooke's arms, drawing lazy circles on Brooke's exposed abdomen.

"What should we get?"

"I don't know about me, but I want you to get 'Bb'," Brooke answered. Haley titled her head so Brooke's face was in view and raised an eyebrow at her. Brooke smiled and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Brooke's baby." Haley returned the smile, knowing that was something only Brooke could come up with. She thought about it for a moment before deciding.

"Alright," she agreed. "But only if you get 'Hh'." Brooke pouted as she worked on trying to figure out what it meant. "Haley's hunny, silly."

"Right," Brooke nodded, the smile growing on her face when she saw the cute look of victory on Haley's face. She wasn't sure what she did to deserve her, but Brooke was thankfully she did it. Haley was the sweetest, most adorable girl in the world and Brooke couldn't believe she was all her's. "Then it's a plan."

_You won't be coming back_

_And I didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye_

_I really wish I got to say goodbye_

"That was amazing," Haley sighed, taking a sip from her wine glass before placing it back on the table. She let out a big groan of satisfaction and leaned back in her chair, her hands on her stomach. "I didn't know you could cook like that, babe."

"I can't," Brooke confessed, happy to see that her surprise was well received. She had been scrambling to find something special to do for their anniversary, and then Peyton suggested dinner at the Docks. "I must confess, I didn't make any of this. If I was capable of cooking anything, I would have, but I didn't think giving you food poisoning on our one-year anniversary was a good present."

"Peyton?" Haley asked, already knowing it was the blonde that was behind all of this. She knew for a fact that Peyton was an excellent cook, that's why she convinced Karen to hire her at the Café. She also remembered that Peyton had taken the day off and had done her best to avoid Haley at all costs.

"Thank God for Blondie," Brooke answered with a smile. She had to admit, the girl knew her way around a kitchen. Something that Brooke didn't know up until Haley discovered it. "I just really wanted to do something romantic for you and she suggested this and I thought it was great. I kinda wanted us to be alone and I figured that a restaurant would be really crowded. I hope this was okay."

"I loved it," Haley assured her, leaning forward and covering Brooke's hands with her own. "I love you. This was incredible and I couldn't think of any other way I'd want to spend tonight with you." The whole thing was really starting to blow her mind. She had never had a boyfriend before and here she was, having her one-year anniversary dinner with the woman she loved more than anything.

"It's not done yet," Brooke exclaimed, giving Haley her trademark giggle and clap. She slipped her hands out from under Haley's and turned around. "Now it's time for presents." Haley laughed at her attitude and pulled her purse around to find the present she had gotten for her girlfriend.

"Gotta love presents," Haley laughed. When Haley looked back up, Brooke was facing her again with a huge grin on her face and an envelope in her hands. She shook her head and pulled out the little box. "Who's going first?"

"You open yours first." Brooke didn't wait for Haley to agree before shoving the envelope into her hands. Haley raised an eyebrow at Brooke's behavior as she opened the envelope. She pulled out the card and read the front before opening it and reading the inside. Brooke waited with a smile on her face for Haley to read the heartfelt words that she wrote. When Haley was done, she looked at Brooke with misty eyes.

"Tigger," she gushed, bringing the card to her chest. "This is so beautiful."

"Just like you," Brooke replied, the smile growing even more when she saw how much Haley loved the card. She was worried that she might find it cheesy. "I'm glad you like it, now open the present."

"Okay, okay." Haley gave a surrendering motion as she picked up the smaller envelope and opened it. Her eyes widened when she pulled out two tickets to the Sheryl Crow concert next month. "Tigger. How did you…"

"Karen told me that she was your favorite," Brooke explained. "And I knew that you couldn't get tickets last time because of those damn E-Bay snipers so I managed to grab a few before they disappeared. I thought maybe we could go together."

"I would love that," Haley answered, leaning across the table to give Brooke a big thank you kiss. Once she was back in her seat, she pushed the box over to Brooke who was waiting impatiently for her gift. As much as she loved giving presents, nothing was better than getting them if you're Brooke Davis. "Now, open yours."

"Oh, I can't wait," Brooke cheered, grabbing the box and pulling it closer to her. Haley watched her anxiously, afraid that she wouldn't like what she picked out.

"I don't have that much money and I wasn't exactly sure what you'd want. I was gonna ask Pey, but I never got around to doing it." Haley explained as Brooke started to open the box. "I couldn't find anything I thought you'd like that I could afford so I had that made. If you don't like it I can return it…"

"Baby," Brooke cut her off, staring down at the object in front of her. Wordlessly, she picked up the necklace and held it up in front of her face. It wasn't anything too fancy, just a simply silver chain with a dangling heart, a B and an H in the middle of it.

"Do you hate it?" Haley asked, not being able to read the look to Brooke's face. She couldn't tell if Brooke liked it or hated it. Brooke laid it on her other palm and traced the outline of the heart. Haley watched her with uneasy eyes. "You hate it," she concluded in a panicked voice. Brooke snapped out of her trace at the tone in her voice and glanced up at her.

"I love it," Brooke corrected her, glancing down at the pendant in her hand. "It's so beautiful." Still seeing the doubt in Haley's eyes, Brooke got up and walked around the table to Haley's side and kneeled down beside her. "You are the most amazing girlfriend in the world. I couldn't ask for a better present." To prove her right, Brooke turned around, brushed her hair aside and held the necklace in place for Haley to put on.

"You really like it?" Haley asked as she took a hold of the clasps and carefully hooked them together. Once she was sure the necklace was in place, Brooke turned back around and locked her eyes with Haley. Without a word, Brooke brushed her hands over Haley's cheeks in the most loving way and brought their lips together. It was one of the most passionate kisses they had shared over the past year and it told Haley all she needed to know about Brooke's feelings for her present.

"If it's possible, I love you even more," Brooke breathed once they had finally pulled apart. Haley smiled and giggled as Brooke's breath brushed across her face. She looked into Brooke eyes, searching for the answer to her unasked question. She was thinking about what would happened on this night, but she still wasn't sure whether or not she was ready. One look in Brooke's eyes and she had her answer.

"Make love to me," Haley whispered, almost not trusting her own voice. She had honestly never thought she would be uttering these words to anyone other than her husband, but everything she ever thought was all thrown away the moment Brooke kissed her that night in the gym. Brooke blinked a few times, trying to decide if she had heard her right. She pulled away from Haley and looked at her in shock.

"What?" she whispered, her voice even lower than Haley's was. Haley didn't back down, just looked her straight in the eyes and nodded, telling Brooke that she was serious. "Baby, are you sure? Because I would hate myself if we did anything and you weren't ready…"

"I'm ready," Haley stated, her voice not wavering a bit. As much as it surprised her, she had never been more sure about anything in her entire life. She loved Brooke; she trusted her and she wanted to be with her for the rest of her life.

_And I'm sure the view from Heaven_

_Beats the hell out of mine here_

_And if we all believe in Heaven_

_Maybe we'll make it through one more year_

_Down here_

"I can't wait to see her face," Haley cheered as she slipped into the passenger side of Peyton's car. Her blonde friend laughed, putting all the bags into the backseat before joining Haley in the front. She shut the door and put the key into the ignition. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"I know she will," Peyton assured her with a bright smile. At first, she wasn't sure whether she was going to be able to support Brooke and Haley's relationship, but the more she was around them, the less it bothered her. She hardly even noticed the strangeness about them anymore; they were just two people in love.

"Good," Haley nodded, leaning back into her seat. "I really want to make this night special for her, you know?" Peyton pulled out of her driveway. She glanced at Haley, realizing that she asked a question and nodded. "I mean, she has pretty much planned every major event in our relationship. It's good to be able to do something special for her."

"I know she's always wanted to go there," Peyton replied to Haley with a smile. She tried to focus her eyes on the road, but was finding it difficult to see through all the darkness. "It's almost all she's ever talked about since we were ten."

"Thanks for the idea, by the way," Haley remembered. She had been drawing a complete blank as to what to get Brooke for her birthday. She had been saving up all her Café earnings for almost three months so she could get her the perfect gift, she just didn't know what to get her. Finally, she gave up and went to Peyton looking for ideas. That was when Peyton made her suggestion.

"Not a problem," Peyton insisted, waving it off with a flick of her hand. She was more than happy to help Haley out. She had always liked Haley, ever since they were younger; she just never made the effort to hang out with her until all the drama with Nathan and Lucas. Now though, with her dating Brooke, it just helped the blonde to get to know Haley better. Over the past year, Peyton had to admit, she thought of Haley as another best friend. "I'm always here to help."

"You're a good friend, Pey," Haley replied, sensing that Peyton needed that reassurance for some reason. "I hope you know that."

"I do," Peyton assured her. She had to admit, she did have her doubts at times, but overall she knew she was a good friend. The girls shared a smile for the briefest of moments before Peyton reached forward and turned on the radio. "So, I'm taking you to your house and helping you get ready and then you're gonna meet Brooke at the Café?"

"That's the plan," Haley nodded, biting her fingernails. It amazed her that even after all this time; she still got so nervous before a date with Brooke. "She said that she was going to be waiting at the Café for me and I made sure to tell her to get dolled up."

"And the limo's gonna be waiting outside right away?" Peyton didn't know why she was asking, but she just wanted to hear about it. She was more than happy for Brooke; it was about time that the girl found a winner. Brooke deserved someone who would treat her right and Haley is exactly that person. "Or are you having dinner first?"

"Karen insisted on making us dinner," Haley informed her with a smile. Lucas still may not be supportive or accepting of their relationship, but Karen sure was. When Haley first told her, Karen was definitely shocked, but she soon saw how much they loved each other and soon became tied for their number one supporter with Peyton.

"I swear that woman loves you more than her own son," Peyton commented with a smile. She really liked Karen and was glad that they all had her in their lives. She had always been a mother to Haley, but it was nice for Brooke and Peyton to have one as well. Realizing that she brought up Lucas, Peyton figured it was time to change the subject.

"It's cool, Pey," Haley told her, being able to read her thoughts. She saw the regret that washed over Peyton's face as soon as she mentioned Lucas. "I thought he was my best friend, but I guess I was wrong. If he can't accept that I'm dating Brooke, then he can go screw himself because I'm in love with her and nothing he says or does is going to change that."

"I get that," Peyton agreed, a little surprised that Haley genuinely seemed okay with the idea of not having Lucas in her life. Then again, it had been a year, so Haley was probably used to the idea by now. "At least he's not as bad as he used to be, right?"

"Yeah," Haley answered, laughing bitterly. Truthfully, even if Lucas suddenly had a change of heart and wanted to be friends again, she didn't think she'd be able to forgive him. His selfish, childish and hurtful behavior had gone on for too long for her to just forget it. "He actually has the balls to make eye contact with me in the hallway now."

"Hales, I'm sorry," Peyton sighed. She had just ruined the happy mood that Haley was in. Just moments ago she was so excited to surprise Brooke with her special birthday present and now she was angry and defensive. God, Lucas could ruin a moment even when he wasn't there.

"Peyton," Haley tried, not wanting to have this conversation anymore. If they talked about him any longer, Haley wouldn't be able to enjoy her night. And she was going to enjoy her night. Peyton didn't appear to be listening though. She turned in her seat slightly and looked over at Haley.

"I shouldn't have brought him up in the fist place…"

"Peyton," Haley told her forcefully, glancing in front of them. She couldn't believe that she had been stupid enough to get in a moving vehicle with Peyton Sawyer; she was Tree Hill's worst driver. Once again, Peyton ignored her.

"He's just a little closed minded, bigot that deserves to die…." Haley rolled her eyes and just happened to glance out her window. Just in time to see the pair of headlights coming straight for them.

"PEYTON, LOOK OUT!" The blonde immediately turned the steering wheel without knowing where the danger was. The girls screamed as the old black car continued to spin out of control. The car that Haley had spotted just missed the front end of their car and drove off into the night. The girls let out two collective sighs of relief. The moment was short lived though, as the car in the next lane didn't have time to stop and barreled directly into the passenger side.

_I hope all is well in Heaven_

_Cause it's all shot to Hell down here_

_I hope that I find you in Heaven_

_Cause I'm so lost without you down here_

"You ready to go?" Peyton asked, standing beside a pale, sickly looking Brooke. The pair stood off to the side of the room, neither wanting to be swept away in the mass of teenagers that were gathered in the main hall. They were all there for the same reason, to say goodbye to Haley.

"Look at them all," Brooke began, nodding her head towards her fellow classmates. Most of them were finally starting to file out, realizing that the school day was over so there was no need to hang around any longer to get out of class. "Half of them have never said a single word to her. They're just here to get out of class."

"Give them a little more credit then that," Peyton suggested, feeling sick at the mere thought of that being true. She didn't look her best either. She came out of the accident relatively unharmed, with the exception of a broken arm and a few scratches.

"I think I'm going to stick around," Brooke told her, happy to see that most of the students from Tree Hill High were leaving. With them gone, she would finally be able to break down. "You go on, I'll be home eventually." Peyton thought about arguing, but decided against it. Brooke looked and sounded horrible, she needed this. Peyton nodded and gave her a supportive hug.

"I'm so sorry about this," she whispered into her friend's ear. She knew that Brooke didn't blame her, she would never do that, no matter how depressed she was, but Peyton blamed herself. She hadn't had a good full night's sleep since the accident. Every night she would wake up screaming from a nightmare about it. And every night when she woke up, she would find Brooke perched on the windowsill, tracing patterns on the cold glass.

"Thanks." Brooke closed her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears. She hadn't cried once since that night. The only time she cried was when Peyton called and told her what happened. She cried herself to sleep that night, but she hadn't shed a tear since then. She wouldn't let herself.

"I'll see you at home." Peyton caressed her cheek for a moment longer before giving her a sad smile and following the rest of the student body out of the funeral home. Brooke's eyes followed her until she was out of eyesight. Brooke brought a hand up to her face and brushed a tear away. Once everyone else was out of the room, and hopefully the building, Brooke took a step forward and out of the corner.

Brooke took a deep breath, hiccupping as fought back the tears, and made it all the way over to the casket on wobbly legs. Seeing how she was acting, she was thankful that she didn't try to do this when there were other people in the room with her. She was genuinely surprised at the overwhelming sadness and grief that racked her body at the thought of saying goodbye to her Haley.

She had gone over this moment in her head about a million times throughout the week, but every time she started to think about it, she had to stop herself before she broke down. She gently reached into the casket and took a hold of Haley's limp hand. She was surprised to find that it wasn't as cold as she expected it to be. She focused on their linked hands, as she still couldn't bring herself to look up at Haley's pale face.

"Hey, baby," she whispered, fighting passed the lump in her throat. "It's me." She laughed bitterly as the tears began to fall. Her hand absently wandered up to her chest and she played with the necklace that was around her neck, the one that Haley had gotten her for their one-year anniversary. The first night they made love.

"I know it's only been about a week, but you have no idea how much I miss you already. It's only been seven days and I'm a complete wreck without you. I don't know how I'm supposed to make it through the rest of my life without you."

"God, why did you have to leave me? Why now, why ever? We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together. We were going to finish high school together, go to college together, move to Canada together and get married. We were gonna adopt a beautiful little girl and let her Auntie Peyton teach her all about punk rock and Goth art."

"I love you so much, baby, more than anything. Before you came along, I was the biggest slut in Tree Hill history. You changed me, you made me a better person, a person that was good enough to be seen with you. I know that what we had together didn't come with a price. You lost your best friend, but that didn't change your mind. You stuck with me and it just made us stronger."

Brooke tightened her hold on Haley's hand, turning around slightly so she could look at the inside of her wrist. Brooke's insides contracted as she saw the two permanent little Bs tattooed on Haley's skin. She turned her wrist over too and saw the Hs that she had. She closed her eyes for a moment as a rush of tears came over her. She bent down and pressed her lips against Haley's tattoo, ignoring how clammy and lifeless it felt.

"I'm never going to forget you, Hales," she promised, though she knew her words fell upon deaf ears. "You're it for me, baby. There's no one else out there that could ever replace you. Ever. You're my other half. So I guess I'll just have to wait until I die before I can be whole again."

Brooke's other hand reached into her purse and pulled out a silver necklace. She had had it made the other day; it was exactly the same as the one she was wearing. It was a heart with the letters B and H in it. She held it in front of her, making sure it was right. When she decided she was ready, she pulled her hand out of Haley's and placed the necklace in its place. She curled Haley's fingers around it and kissed her hand once again.

"You're everything to me and you always will be. I'm going to wear this necklace until the day that I die so I know that you'll always be with me. I love you so much, baby. More than I could ever love anything." She took a deep breath and wiped away the last remaining tears on her face.

"I'll see you soon, baby."

_You won't be coming back_

_And I didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye_

Brooke watched the rain continue to pour down. She used to love the rain. Whenever it used to rain, her and Haley would like to curl up on the couch and watch a good horror movie. It was only after the fifth time that Brooke realized Haley just liked being held during the scary parts.

The weather seemed to fit her current mood. Her head was filled of images of her and Haley together in happier times. She would remember the first time she told Haley how she really felt about her. She would remember their first date, or their first anniversary. She would think about the first time they made love, about how absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful Haley looked lying underneath her.

Her entire body ached all over when she thought about Haley. She could swear she could still taste Haley's kiss on her lips from the last time they kiss. The last time they saw each other she didn't even say goodbye. It wasn't even anything special. There was no lovemaking, no gentle touches, nothing. Just a simple goodbye kiss and a last minute cram session.

Brooke would give anything to go back in time and change the last night they had together. She would have thrown her books out the window, taken Haley up to her room, made love to her until they were blue in the face and then held her all night. Hell, if she knew Haley was going to die, she would have been in that car with her.

She ignored the knocking on her door, knowing it was just Peyton. The blonde would come by everyday to see how she was doing. Brooke's answer never changed. She didn't want to talk to Peyton; she didn't want to do anything. All she wanted to do was hold Haley again, to kiss her lips and look into her eyes. She wanted to feel whole again, alive again. But her spirit died with Haley.

She ignored Peyton's knocking and turned up the music, hoping it would drown out her screams.

_I really wish I got to say goodbye..._

**……….VFH……….**

That's all she wrote. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please tell me what you thought about it. Thanks.


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